Motor vehicle drivers must carry a variety of personal objects such as licenses, permits, maps, directions, phones, wallets or other objects. In addition, drivers of commercial trucks may have to carry permits and delivery information regarding the items in transport. A driver may encounter several problems while he or she is on the road and needs to store and organize these objects.
One common problem is the lack of a single, centralized location to store the objects. Without a centralized location the objects can become lost and scattered throughout the motor vehicle. Oftentimes personal objects must be accessible quickly, for example if the driver is required to go through a security checkpoint or weighing station. In these cases, the driver might have to fumble through the glove box, center console, or his or her wallet or briefcase to find a particular object. Searching for an object in these different compartments can lead to frustration and delays.
Another problem encountered by drivers is carrying these personal objects between the motor vehicle and the arrival destination. For example, when a trucker reaches a checkpoint he or she might need to carry in a bundle of paperwork from the truck. When this paperwork is spread about inside the motor vehicle, it takes time to gather the necessary paperwork together, thus creating delays and it is also inconvenient for the driver, who may be carrying several different things in his hands. Therefore, it is desired to have an apparatus that can store and organize a wide assortment of personal objects in a centralized, easily accessible manner while allowing the driver to easily transport his or her personal objects from the motor vehicle to the arrival destination.
Two types of existing products have attempted to solve the storage and organization problems discussed above: briefcases and over-the-seat organizers. Briefcases may keep the driver's belongings in a centralized location, but objects kept in a briefcase are not easily accessible. To reach objects within a briefcase, the driver needs both hands to open the case, which may be difficult if the driver is also handling other objects. Also, opening the briefcase requires a flat surface large enough to place the briefcase on. Traditionally, a driver may place the briefcase on his or her lap or the passenger seat. Placing the briefcase on one's lap is disadvantageous because the steering column prohibits the case from opening fully. Placing the briefcase on the passenger seat is disadvantageous because the two seats might be separated by a center console or a large space that forces the driver to shift uncomfortably and reach in his or her own seat. Moreover, briefcases are lightweight and usually have slick surfaces, causing them to fall off the seat when the motor vehicle comes to a stop or travels over uneven roads.
Another traditional solution for the organization needs of drivers is an over-the-seat organizer, which has similar problems as a briefcase discussed above. These organizers are usually hung over or placed upon the passenger's seat, so to access objects within the organizer the driver may have to reach across a center console or a large space. In addition, over-the-seat organizers are not suitable for transporting objects to and from the motor vehicle and the driver's destination, because over-the-seat organizers are either not free standing or they are large and bulky, thus making carrying cumbersome and awkward. Alternatively, the driver could remove objects from the organizer, but this solution is disadvantageous because without a carrying case the objects become lost more easily, and it fills the driver's hands up so that he or she cannot carry other things. One example of an over-the-seat organizer is U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,616 which discloses a box-like structure that is designed to be strapped into the passenger's seat.